


Animal (Mandy)

by Burgie



Series: SSOWeek April 2016 [21]
Category: Star Stable
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7793830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mandy adopts a seal pup.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Animal (Mandy)

According to the local gossip around Jorvik (which was always sketchy at best), an abnormally large iceberg had drifted up to the edge of the Forgotten Fields. Even more unbelievable stories told of two men on the iceberg selling seal pups and clothing. Mandy went there anyway. At best, she’d make a new friend, at worst, she’d have to kill the two men selling selkie pups. If they were selkie pups.

It took a few tries for Lemonpepper to clamber onto the iceberg, but he finally trotted around on it, picking his hooves up a little too high as the cold snow bothered him.

“Sorry,” said Mandy, rubbing his neck. “We won’t be here for long, I promise.” Lemonpepper shook his head and snorted, holding her to that promise.

After weaving around some icicles, Mandy stopped Lemonpepper in front of the two men and surruptiously hid her skin at the bottom of her saddlebag closest to her body.

“Hello,” she greeted them, keeping her voice kind as her mother had taught her. “I heard that you were selling seal pups and clothes?”

“And tack,” said the thinner man, pulling a bridle out of his box of stuff.

“Okay. These seal pups weren’t taken from their mothers, by any chance, were they?” asked Mandy. She used her magic sight, but the seal pups appeared normal to her. Pure animal. That gave her some relief, at least.

“Oh no, their mothers were killed by poachers so we took them on to rehome them,” said the larger man.

“Prove it,” said Mandy, crossing her arms in front of her. “Prove that you didn’t kill these pups’ mothers in order to sell them to tourists. And they aren’t supposed to be carted around in saddlebags, anyway!”

The two men were silent for a guilty amount of time.

“That’s the third person today who’s accused us of that,” said the thin man. “Maybe we should stop coming here.”

“Or maybe you should stop this cruel business,” said Mandy, glaring at them.

“How did you understand us? We were speaking in English,” said the thin man.

“I can speak it too,” said Mandy in English. “Now, are you going to show me your documentation proving that you have permission from the Jorvik Ecological Society to sell these pups, or don’t you have any?”

“Here,” said the larger man, retrieving a document from his bag. “Sorry, our grasp on Jorvegian isn’t the best.”

“So you are legit, then,” said Mandy, taking the document and reading it. “Thank you. Sorry for accusing you of profiting from poaching.”

“All of our proceeds go to charities to stop poaching,” said the thin man.

“That’s good! Then I’d like a seal and all of the clothes and tack, please,” said Mandy, smiling. She was glad now that she hadn’t bared her teeth at them.

“Which seal would you like?” asked the larger man.

Five minutes later, Mandy rode away with a seal pup in her saddlebag. The younger version of her mama would know where to rehome it safely.

She heard a voice that stopped her dead in her tracks when she was halfway up the hill towards the winery.

“Mama.”

“Who said that?” asked Mandy, looking around. Then she recognised the language. It had been a seal that had spoken.

“Mama,” said the seal again, slapping its flippers together and looking up at her from the saddlebag.

“Uh oh,” said Mandy. “I’m not your mama, little seal.”

“Mama.” The seal pup kept looking at her.

Moving off the road, Mandy took her special phone out and dialled the special number.

“Hi mum,” said Mandy when her mother answered the phone. “I just bought a seal pup.”

“Don’t you need some sort of license to own one of those?” asked her mother.

“I guess. But anyway, it talked to me,” said Mandy.

“As is to be expected, it recognised the seal in you,” said her mother.

“Yeah, but… it thinks I’m it’s mum,” said Mandy, feeling her cheeks colour. Her mother laughed.

“Well, this isn’t the way I thought I’d become a grandmother,” said her mother. 

“Mum,” Mandy whined. “I can’t look after a pup, I’m busy with other things.”

“Well, do you know of anyone who might be able to look after it?” asked her mother.

“No but I’ll ask mama in this time,” said Mandy. “She might know who can look after the poor little thing.”

“Okay. Well, next time you get a pet, choose a different animal,” said her mother.

“I will,” said Mandy, and smiled. “I’ll call you again tonight. Bye, mum.”

After she hung up, she looked at the little seal pup still staring at her.

“Come on, little guy, mama will know someone who can take you,” said Mandy, climbing back into her saddle. She rode on towards the manor, where she knew her mama in this time would be waiting for her.


End file.
